Party in the USA!
by M. De La Cruz
Summary: Four years after the raid that brought Eri in his life, Mirio Togata is working as a detective to try and do his part in the ongoing fight against evil. But really, he's just wasting his time napping on the job, watching his friends grow stronger as heroes, and longing for what could have been. Thankfully, Izuku Midoriya's always got his back when he's healed by Eri and discovers t
1. Chapter 1

_**Get the party started!**_

_"Oh god this looks awful!"_

The three of them burst through the doors of the agency's front doors, the frosted glass shaking in the metal frames as they bounced violently against the walls. Tenya Iida stood hunched over in his scuffed and marred armor as he carried his friend, Izuku Midoriya. Iida was a good half a foot taller than his friend, his glasses askew and dark hair swaying with each labored step. For his part, Midoriya struggled against the support given as he was ushered in quickly. Midoriya was in his own hero uniform which was torn at the shoulders, exposing his bruised arms. Izuku's face was half way from boyishly round to slightly pinched and was covered in scrapes and freckles. His green eyes were scrunched up in protest as he swiveled looking between Iida and the young man that was attempting to help bring in the hero, his forest green curly hair clinging low to his scalp from sweat. The young boy kept glaring at Izuku from beneath the rim of his red hat with gold horns. Kota Izumi was in no mood for his hero's antics today. A quick glance at Izuku's right arm brought up bile from the pit of his stomach. It was a gruesome sight. Bone stuck up underneath the exposed skin, stretching the muscle and sinew wickedly. Despite Midoriya's protest that it looked worse than it felt, Kota could only imagine the amount pain his hero was in.

"Really, Kota, it's fine! Look, we'll just pop it in place and -"

"Midoriya! This is no time for jokes. You've sustained a serious injury and need immediate medical attention," Iida interrupted with a scathing look toward Midoirya. Izuku cringed a little and shrunk back in on himself as he was forcefully sat down near a chair.

Kota looked around the modest agency to see if there was a first aid kit in plain view. The floor space was covered in blue carpet, cubicle walls and desks. Several sidekicks and interns were running around wildly in a panic. If he had not been sickened by Izuku's broken arm Kota would have spat out in disgust at their disorganization.

_All these idiots and not a single healing quirk among them. Typical…_

"Now stay put while I get a medic. Where is Takeshi? Takeshi! I need assistance!" Iida strode away from them as he searched for Takeshi, whoever that was. Kota looked up to Izuku who was pouting quietly in his chair. It had been four years since they first met. Deku had graduated from U.A. but not without having a fair bit of trouble from the constant onset of villain attacks. Kota remembered how the green haired hero nearly lost use of his arms protecting him all those years ago. While he still did not trust other heroes, Deku was different. He was genuine with his kindness and strength. It did not take long after he graduated for the press to begin calling him the next Symbol of Peace. Still, suffering injuries like this only served to irritate Kota.

"Idiot! What were you thinking, getting your arm broken like that?" he hissed as crossed his arms. Izuku did not look up from inspecting the protruding bone as he responded.

"One, have you been hanging out with Kacchan again? I swear, his bad habits rub off everyone. Two, I didn't plan on breaking any bones today. Haven't done that since Overhaul... Besides! I still beat those guys and saved those people. Why are you mad?" Kota growled and gave Deku a quick jab in his good arm before hiding his face behind his hat's bill.

"Dummy... You could still lose use of your arm. How can you be the number one with just one arm?"

Kota felt a large gloved hand pat the crown of his hat. Deku then pulled him into a quick side hug as he spoke.

"I'm sorry to make you worry, Kota. Besides, I think I could still do it with just one arm. I am pretty good at this," Izuku chided with a big grin. Kota sniffled and roughly wiped his nose before punching Deku one last time. He stepped away from his hero and gave him a sardonic look.

"Well if you won't listen to me then I know what I have to do." Midoriya's face fell, mortified by the threat. He began to plead and protest as he attempted to persuade his young friend from doing anything.

"N-no, Kota! P-please, I'm begging you, don't tell her anyt-"

"DEKU!"

An angry voice exploded into the agency's lobby followed by the slam of the glass doors against the wall. Standing with her fists clenched and fire in her chocolate eyes was Ochaco Uraraka in her black-and-pink bodysuit costume. The blocky gauntlets around her wrist shook as she stomped forward in her oversized pink boots. Ochaco's hair had grown over the years but she kept it styled in a bob. Normally her shoulder length hair would sweep around her head but today it seemed to float from the pure fury emanating from the gravity user.

"Ura-uravity! H-How are you?" Izuku asked as he pushed Kota in front of his seat with his good arm. The youth crossed his arms and shot a dirty look to his hero over the shoulder.

"Don't give me that, dummy! I heard you got hurt. Where's Iida? IIDA! Why did Deku break his arm again?!" Ochaco was a sight of rage though she had not grown any taller since her highschool days. Kota did his best to side step the furious hero but kept getting pulled back by Deku, the young man holding the boy as a shield. Just behind Uraraka flashed a glimpse of long silver hair. Kota brushed off his hero's hand and tip toed around Ochaco who continued to tear into Deku. Eri stood a couple of feet away from the scene with a confused look. She was dressed in a thigh length green dress with red boat shoes capping her black leggings. There was an All Might themed purse strapped around her body and pink beret holding up the right side of her hair, freeing the sizeable horn that grew out of her forehead. Her red eyes locked on to his and a smile quickly replaced her puzzled expression.

"Hi Kota!" she chirped quietly with a small wave. Careful to avoid Uraraka's rampage, the boy walked up to Eri and threw his hands into his pockets.

"Hey Eri, how are you? Been hanging out with Ms. Uravity today?"

"Yup!" she gave enthusiastically with a lot of nodding, "We visited a few of her friends and got some mochi for lunch. Then we hurried over her after she heard about the fight going on. Were you with Mr. Deku when it started?"

"Yeah. It took longer than normal to wrap up because he broke his arm almost instantly..."

"I _told_ you," Deku half barked out, "I did not plan on that! There was a villain with a rope quirk. She managed to get my arm and tried to tie me up. I just resisted and well... here's the result."

Kota pointedly looked away from Izuku who was holding up his limb. Ochaco was rubbing her forehead and Eri looked on in concern. The young girl walked past him as Ochaco threw her hands up in frustration.

"Urg! What am I going to do with you, Deku? Where the heck is Iida..." The gravity hero stomped off, the steam flying out of her ears still lifting her hair as she went away. Kota rubbed the back of his neck as he steeled himself to face Deku and Eri. A strangled noise of surprise from behind caught his attention and spun around quickly.

"Eri... Wh-what are you?"

Eri stood gazing intently at Izuku's arm. She held up her hands over them, hovering just a few inches above the wounded flesh. Kota caught sight of her horn which had exploded in size. He hesitated to stop her before deciding not to interfere. If anyone could fix the damage to Deku's arm it was Eri.

She kept a concentrated gaze on the stretched skin as she channeled her quirk's power into the bone and skin. Izuku and Kota watched on in amazement as the bone that poked out was set back into place. Eri's horn had deflated and Deku attempted to pull away but was held back by the girl.

"Almost... done..." A few seconds later, Iida and Uraraka came back and yelped out in surprise. Kota and Deku looked at the newcomers haplessly while Eri finished her work. Iida was the first to speak, his voice booming with dread.

"What is the meaning of this, Midoriya? Mr. Aizawa will have our heads for this!"

"Done!" Eri declared with a small sigh. She wobbled in place for a moment before Deku and Kota helped her into the seat the green haired hero had been occupying. Deku was about to dote on her when he moved his arm and focused intensely on it. Slowly, with care, Izuku removed the remaining tatters of his glove and hissed sharply.

"Did I do good, Mr. Deku?" Eri asked with a weak smile on her lips. Kota watched as tears began to flood Izuku's green eyes, the hero lifting up the torn fabric of his sleeve over his shoulder. The skin was smooth and clear, the knotted muscles bulging powerfully as he moved his other hand around on the arm. Kota's jaw dropped and he looked to Eri with wonder.

"Th-they're gone... all gone. Eri, wh-when -?"

"I've been practicing on small animals at the clinic. Especially ones that get brought in after being hit by cars or rescued from bad homes. Is it ok?" There was a moment's hesitation before Midoriya scooped her up in his arms and held her closely, openly weeping as thanked her under shuddering sobs. Kota turned away in embarrassment as Ochaco joined in the embrace, tears suddenly threatening his own vision. A minute passed before Uraraka began to inspect Deku's arm herself.

"This is amazing Eri! His muscles are all intact but none of the scarring is there. I wonder if the bones and ligaments are ok too..." Kota stifled a laugh as his hero's face turned bright red. Uraraka either ignored his squeaking protest or did not hear them as she waved Iida over.

"Hmm," the silver plated hero chimed as he bent over rubbing his chin, "It certainly looks as if the damage simply never took place. You raise a good question, Uravity. I suggest we take Deku here to a nearby clinic for immediate inspection so we can verify how much was healed."

"Agreed. In the meantime, Deku," Uraraka said as she patted the man's exposed arm, "No more hero work until we can make sure you can use your arms, ok?"

"WHAT?! Oh c'mon, Ochaco, you can't be serious. I'm so close to breaking through the top ten! I can't let Kacchan or Todoroki get there first," he whined, all embarrassment abandoned. Kota rolled his eyes and jabbed the hero in protest.

"You should listen to her, moron. It's for your own good. What if you threw out a Smash and undid all of Eri's hard work?"

Izuku paused and bit his lip. Kota could almost see the wheels in his head spinning violently underneath the forest of curly green hair. The hero mumbled so quickly that the others could not catch what he was saying. It took a few moments before he stopped and sighed in resignation.

"Ok. But we're doing this my way. Iida," he said as he turned to his tall friend, "Can you and Mei make a quick trip this weekend?" Puzzlement over took the others surrounding the hero as he continued to speak.

"Clear you're schedules. We're going to America!"


	2. Chapter 2

_**California Dreaming**_

Mirio Togata felt his breath flowing through his naval as he heaved out a heavy sigh. His blue eyes fell on the ticking clock that hung above the far right wall from his desk. It was cold in the office space where he was sitting, the grimy tiled floor dulling the fluorescent lights that hit it. Desks were spread out with a few people hunched over keyboards and staring into the blaring screens before them. He sighed again, slumping against his propped up arm that was anchored on the desktop. His boyish features squished against his palms and made his beady eyes look even smaller. His blond hair was combed back, pulling against his scalp. Mirio was dressed in a crisp white button up with a bright red tie, his muscular frame pulling the material taut. Around his neck hung a beaded chain that held a leather pad with a gold plated badge emblazoned on it.

He knew he should consider himself lucky, all things considered. After graduating U.A. without a quirk, he had been allowed to operate as hero despite his current powerless state. Unfortunately, the escalation of a full out war from the villains had almost cost him his life. He decided to hang up his cape in exchange for a police badge not even three months after his academic career ended. He was fortunate enough to have garnered Detective Tsuchkai's attention and was placed in his precinct. He had risen through the ranks fairly quickly to detective. His friends and colleagues were all proud of him but he could not help but feel the sting of disappointment as he watched them grow in their heroics from the sideline.

It seemed his life was in a constant loop: wake up, get ready for work, take the train to the station, sit at his desk for a mind numbing shift, go home, watch the news for any updates about his friends, go to sleep. He felt stuck in the banality of his routine but it could have been worse, he supposed. The loneliness was the thing that really killed him. Everyday he would wake up to an empty apartment and come home to it, unchanged for the last several years. As his friends got busier in their careers, visits and get-togethers became increasingly sparse. Even his visits to Eri and Mr. Aizawa took a sharp drop after she enrolled in the school system last year.

The young detective drummed his meaty fingers against the wood grain of his desk as the minutes ticked by slower. Bumming himself out was no way to pass the time. He stole a quick glance at his graduation photo before turning his glazed eyes back to the clock. Mirio, Nejire, and Tamaki were squeezed together in the frame, the tall blonde standing in the middle holding his friends and grinning widely. Nejire was to his right, looking radiant and flush with pride. Even Tamaki had managed the shakiest shadow of a smile as he shrunk behind Mirio. Another sighed moved through the detective as he fought off the waves of nostalgia.

Even though his life was a little emptier with his friends always so busy, there had been a single constant since he lost his quirk: Izuku Midoriya. The young man had taken to Mirio as if they had been brothers at birth, learning from one another even as conflicts outside of the precinct building raged louder with every passing day. Midoriya made it a point to visit him at least once during the week if only to just catch up or share a meal. It did not hurt that Izuku was well on his way to becoming the next Symbol of Peace and they leaned on one another heavily when it came to keeping the peace. Mirio knew he would never admit it but Deku played no small part in his own meteoric rise in the police force.

A frown took shape on his face, wrinkling the otherwise youthful skin. Now that Mirio had a moment to think (when didn't he nowadays?) it had been some time since the green haired hero had visited. As if on cue, there sounded a deep voice from out in the hallway.

"Hope has arrived! Why? Because I am - hrmph!"

A wet, sticking sound bounded against the door of the detective's area. Through the little window of the door was stuck one, Izuku Midoriya. His face was mashed against the plexiglass, giving his youthful looks a squashed character. Several heads looked up from their mesmerizing screens to view the up-and-coming hero in all of his "glory." Mirio was doubled over in his chair, painfully trying to contain the deep bellowing laughs that threatened to take hold of his body. Another voice in the corridor sounded, angry and full of gravel.

"You goddamn idiot! You can't even open a door?" Izuku tried to mumble his response but ended up yelping in surprise as he was peeled away from the window. The door swung open to the hallway revealing Deku and Ground Zero standing in full costumed regalia. Izuku's deep green jumpsuit with cream arm braces, red belt, black leg armor and silver mouth guard clashed wildly with Bakugo Katsuki's violently orange trimmed, grenade themed costume. With the help of Bakugo's forceful shove, Deku made his way to Mirio's desk. All the while he waved sheepishly at the gawking detectives. With his stomach near to bursting, Mirio looked up and wiped the tears away from his eyes as Izuku stopped right next to his desk. It took him several moments to catch his breath but the detective finally managed to greet his guests.

"Hey guys!" Mirio cried out, his jovial cheer interrupted by the occasional cough, "To, uh, to what do I owe the honor?"

"Detective Mirio, I'm shocked," Deku pouted with a poor show of hurt, "Can't two guys just come by to see you?"

"Yeah yeah, sure. Now tell me," Mirio replied as he rolled his eyes and motioned for them to take their seats, "What's new?"

Izuku's face nearly split with the brilliant grin that grew on his face. It nearly blinded Mirio and Bakugo was clearly agitated by the illuminating smile.

"I have the best news, my friend. Take a look at this!" Midoriya worked quickly to remove the heavy right arm brace though it was not without a struggle. Various clasps and buckles lined the span of the article, holding it tightly in place for his work. Mirio always admired Midoirya's efforts to mitigate further damage to his body. He had learned long ago just how powerful the green haired youth's quirk was and how much it took to control it. Most prominent were the deep purple scars that marred the flesh of his tricep and down to his elbow. If he was being honest, everytime Mirio saw it he would get queasy with just a glance. Even now he braced himself for a peek at the violent reminder of how far Deku had come from his early days.

Astonishingly, Izuku's arm seemed to be missing the deep, bruised scar on his arm. In fact, he was missing the little scars that had cut across his knuckles and hand. Upon closer inspection it appeared that any sign of damage to the arm had vanished. Even the knobby, gnarled knuckles seemed smooth and natural. Mirio ran his fingers over Deku's bared arm, amazement glistening in his cobalt eyes. He looked up to his friend and spoke in a hushed tone.

"Was this...?"

"Yup!" Midoriya chirped, matching Mirio's whispered volume, "She's been getting better control and this was just the beginning for her."

Hundreds of possibilities and thoughts started to run through Mirio's head at once. He felt painfully overwhelmed by the implications of what Deku was saying and he did not dare raise his hopes. Midoriya continued to whisper to him, his words coming quickly and full of wish.

"I'm headed to California tomorrow and I'm taking Eri with me. We're going to meet a friend of mine who knows about my quirk. I'd like you to come, Mirio."

"Huh? What?" Togata sputtered as his attention piqued again. There was some missing information here and on top of everything, Mirio couldn't just drop everything to fly to America. He had work to think about.

"I can't just go, ya know. I'd have to talk to the boss and get approval. You know how this works. Besides, who's going to keep all the crooks at bay?"

Bakugo growled irritably with some foam bubbling up from his lips.

"Who the hell do you think, blondie?! Seriously, I'm surrounded by himbos..."

"What Kacchan is trying to say is that he and Todoroki will be covering for me while I'm gone. We shouldn't be much more than a week," Deku explained.

"A week! I can't be gone for that long!" Mirio protested. Izuku's face was unfazed if not a little vulnerable as he spoke again.

"Well... actually, you can. I pulled some strings with the department and managed to get you a couple of extra weeks vacation. Don't worry!" Deku reassured, defensively waving his hands, "You won't have to use any of your regular PTO."

Mirio regarded him and Bakugo for a second. As he leaned back and rubbed his chin, he looked on quizzically. It was too much to take in all at once but he began to feel more tempted by the offer the longer he contemplated the prospect.

"Really quick, how'd you get the higher ups to agree to that?" Deku looked at his companion sadly while the explosive hero sitting next to him growled even worse than before.

"Deku here agreed that we make some public appearances with the local cops. For the next three goddamn years!" Bakugo barked. Mirio burst out laughing as Bakugo bonked his rival on the head viciously. Deku whimpered but looked up at the detective, hope sparkling in his emerald eyes.

"Yeah it kind of sucks but Mirio, listen," Midoriya implored, "Think about it. Japan deserves Lemillion. The world deserves him. A hero like you is just what we need to push back against the villains."

Togata felt his heart squeeze and seize. He had not heard that name in so long that he almost forgot that there were people who remembered. Deku was never one to shy away from the hard topics with any of his friends. He had a nasty habit of bringing up Mirio's abandoned ambitions whenever they got together. Despite the searing hurt that burned through him, Togata had to admit that it was nice to have someone fight for a dream he had given up on.

"Can...can I have time to think about this? It's honestly a lot to take," Mirio requested as rubbed the back of his neck. Midoirya raised his open hands towards the detective in understanding, his eyes closed with sincerity etched on his freckled face.

"Don't worry, just let me know. I'm taking a plane but I'll make sure everything is covered if you wanna go."

The young pros bid him adieu and marched off to their agency's office. Mirio watched forlorn as their costumed forms rounded the corner of the door and disappeared for the night.

* * *

Just as he suspected, Mirio walked into his darkened studio apartment only to find it empty and as he left it. Not a single thing was out of place. He heaved another heavy sigh and threw his satchel near the couch as he kicked off his shoes. It was well past nine and the sun had gone long ago. Mirio went about his regular routine of closing the blinds, watering his plants, and cooking dinner while listening to the latest news on his laptop. As his food sizzled and hissed, urgent music began to play from the laptop's speakers and quelled to a dull thrum when a reporter began to speak in an even monotone.

"And now for the day's hero watch recap. Though today was unusually quiet, there was some commotion earlier in the afternoon. Suneater and Nejire-Chan were both on the scene of a villain attack in the northern end of town. The villain is a lesser known criminal who goes by the name C-Block, a reference to his previous incarceration. He was attempting to break down the walls of his former partner's apartment though was intercepted by Suneater who happened to be eating lunch nearby. Within minutes, Nejire-Chan had joined the fray and together they managed to subdue to attacker. The damage is estimated to be at the Class D level. No casualties or fatalities were reported."

On the scree stood the simpering visage of Tamaki who was hiding behind Nejire, the young woman smiling and waving with the energy of a firecracker. Mirio felt the familiar pang in his chest begin to grow the longer he looked at them and he shut the laptop close with a quick slap. He flipped the heat off the burner and let the curry in the pan continue to sizzle as he grabbed a plate. Mirio paused as he closed a cabinet door and looked to his bedroom door. Shaking his head with a furious glare, the detective slopped his food onto the plate carelessly. He wolfed his food within minutes, taking sniping glances at the door that had called to him before. Eventually he just sat with a permanent scowl focused on the door as he shoveled food into his mouth. A clank rang out from beneath his chin, his fork clashing against the empty plate. He looked down at the empty plate and dropped his utensils, opting to run his hands through the short blonde hair on top of his head.

Mirio bolted to his feet, shoving the small dining table and chair as he rose, growling in frustration. He marched with heavy footfalls towards his bedroom and swung the door open in a fury. As he entered, he slammed the door shut and rubbed his face with his hands not wanting to turn around. But he had to. He had to face the music.

The detective slowly, hesitantly, turned and gazed up to the white, long sleeved top with gold trim, green accents, and red cape that hung on the back of his door. In bold lettering, the number "1,000,000" was scrawled in raised fabric across the chest. Mirio often slept with his door open for several reasons but the costume that hung before him was the only reason he needed to keep it open. If it had not been for Midoriya and All Might insisting that he'd keep his costume, he would have thrown it away when he retired from heroics. He fished around in his pants pockets, frantically looking for his phone. As he fumbled with it to dial Izuku's number, Mirio felt a growing sense of urgency and remorse.

"Hey, Midoriya? Yeah, its Mirio. What time are you flying out tomorrow?"


	3. Chapter 3

p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Going to California/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The morning was warm as Mirio rode in the caddy, the tires rolling gently on the tarmac of the airport. Deku's instructions for the flight had been vague or at least the detective had thought. Be at the airport entrance by 9 AM. Mirio felt irritation creep up on him as he mulled over the hero's words. Just what was supposed to happen? He shows up and a couple of people in suits and shades going to usher him away to Midoriya's private jet?/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Turns out, it was All Might's private jet. And it was three people in suits who escorted him to the plane./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"He tapped his hands against the golf cart's rails, thankful that the canopy above him not only blocked the sun but was raised enough so that he could sit comfortably inside. Wind rushed past as he was sped away in the tiny vehicle. Mirio had attempted small talk with his escorts but the ear pieces and bulges in their coat pockets made him think twice about it. The ride wasn't long but it felt prolonged with the heavy silence that hung over the cart. The detective was not sure if it was his own storm that curtained over them or if his escorts just took their job too seriously./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Finally, after an eternity with the moving statues, Mirio had been brought to his destination. Standing proudly with daylight gleaming against the polished white frame, All Might's private jet loomed low over the ground. Two pilots in the cockpit were visibly busy making their final calculations. The entrance to the cabin was seamlessly closed, only visible by the tiny window that stood at eye level. Mirio hopped out and made to grab his suitcases but was stopped by one of his escorts. Shrugging, the detective waved them goodbye and began to walk towards the jet./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""So long and thanks for the ride, ya chatterboxes! Try to give your voices a break ok?" The suits paused mind way in hauling his luggage to scowl at the blonde as he walked away. With a resistance in his steps, Mirio approached the plane and jumped back as the door hissed, falling backward in a slow arc to reveal the stairs leading up. The detective scratched his head and looked down at the window on the door. It was bevelled and indented but could offer no view from the outside-in or vice versa./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emWell that's a waste,/em he thought as he climbed his way into the cabin. Inside were four tables spread out with large, comfortable looking leather chairs. In the back lay some beds near a small enclosed attendant area. He was impressed with how much bigger it felt than what he was anticipating from the outside. The seats were empty, however, and felt annoyance tug at his face again./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"emDon't tell me that broccoli head left without me…/em/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Mirio sighed as he took a seat and fiddled with the window blind. And he waited./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Waiting was always the thing that bugged Mirio the most. He had no patience when he was young and developing any as he got older was worse than pulling teeth. Nowadays, he felt like all he did was wait. Whether it was waiting for his shift to end, for news of his friends' heroic feats, or just a sign of what to do with his life, Mirio felt like he was stuck in place while the world moved on without him. That was what made waiting the worst: falling behind while everyone make strides towards their goals and dreams. It was frustrating and it broke his heart to think he had to rethink everything, putting him further behind where he wanted to be. He didn't remember closing his eyes but when he opened them again, he noticed the endless blue outside of the window. The engines whined and hummed quietly as the aircraft soared through the sky. Mirio half jumped out of his seat and scrambled to find any sign of life. Thankfully he was met with the sight of Izuku sitting across from Ochaco "Uravity" Uraraka, in her civilian clothes, and Eri sitting next to Kota. Mr. Aizawa was not in sight but Mirio figured that he was lucky enough to escape Midoirya's clutches. The freckled hero was doing his best to entertain the brunette before him as she looked at the green haired man with soft eyes, the smallest hint of a smile playing on her lips. Eri and Kota were busy passing a phone between each other, playing a game of something Mirio was not quite sure of. Midoriya was the first to notice that the blonde detective was awake and waved at him with the biggest grin./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Mirio! Welcome back to the waking world! How was your nap?" Mirio scratched his head, thinking through his grogginess./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Uh, yeah it was uh it was nice. When did we take off?" he asked. Mirio was dreading the answer. Uravity spoke up, her voice bright and warm./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""We left about two hours ago."/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Ah jeez and I slept through, like, everything?" Mirio whined. Eri and Kota giggled causing him to put on a sheepish grin./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""You had this big snot bubble comin' outta your nose," Kota chided. Eri's face pulled in disgust and she shoved her friend lightly./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Kota, that's gross."/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""It's true though!"/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Ok ok, yeah Mirio is kind of gross," Izuku piped in, "But he's awake now! And he still hasn't said hello to you two."/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Mirio had to give his younger friend credit: he was very good at helping Eri and Kota behave. The detective stepped up to the children, threw his arms around their shoulders, and hauled them up into a bear hug. They struggled to breathe and slapped at his trunk-like arms but giggling all the while./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I've missed you two goobers!" Mirio cried out, letting them come up for a bit air. He met their bright faces with his own wide smile. "We missed you, Mr. Mirio," Kota chirped. The young man turned to look at Eri who began to nuzzle into Mirio's hug and holding on tighter. "Well ok, maybe I didn't miss you as much as she did."/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Hey Mirio, you got a minute?" Izuku asked. He looked around the cabin, noticing that the sun's sinking position behind them. Togata gazed at Midoriya incredulously before responding, snark dripping in his voice./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""You know, Deku, I don't think I do. I'm just swamped with all the things I have to do on this tiny plane."/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Ha ha. C'mon I wanna show you something."/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"With a final squeeze of the kids, Mirio let them down and shooed them back to their table. Uravity stood up, ushering the two men to cockpit's door where the three of them huddled over a small device in Midoriya's hand./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""What's this about, Deku?" Mirio asked, his curiosity rising. The device was flat, circular disk, with a raised inner circled edge. In the depressed middle was a translucent purple window. Midoriya thumbed a switch on the side and it began projecting holographic images just inches from the surface./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Glowing eerily with emanating light stood the visage of a young woman. She wore frameless glass and had a mass of flowing hair. Modest clothes lay beneath a lab coat. Mirio looked at his young friend in confusion, hoping that the green haired hero would have some sort of explanation./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""This," Deku said, "is Melissa Shield! She's a good friend of mine who works in California."/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Wait a minute," Mirio interrupted, the gears in his head grinding away as he wracked his memory, "Shield? She wouldn't happen to be David Shield's daughter?"/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""That's right! You're almost as much of an All Might fanboy as Deku here," Uravity chirped. Mirio noticed with some amusement that Midoriya wore an expression torn halfway between embarrassment and bemusement. He was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the comment but the fact that she stood so close by./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""R-right... Anyway, we met her four years ago and have kept in touch. She graduated that same year you did. She's a doctoral candidate now but she's a rising star among the tech companies that make support items."/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Ok great but how is she supposed to help with my condition?"/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Well, she's also been doing some extra work in physiology, Quirk and genetic connection, Quirk physics... you get the picture. She's got a whole lab that will help us figure out just how much Eri can control her quirk. Maybe this will be what can restore your Quirk!"/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Mirio tried to hide his skepticism as he looked at the younger heroes. Their eager smiles and beaming eyes glistened with hope and he just did not have the heart to shatter the optimism shared between the two. He ran a bulky hand through his cowlick, slicking it back only for it to spring back into place./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""All right, if you say so," was all he said./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Midoriya continued explaining that they had already sent Tenya "Ingenium" Iida and Mei Hatsume ahead to the States. Hatsume was a brilliant inventor whose intellect rivalled Shield's, from what Mirio had gathered from Deku's excitement. There also seemed to be a wariness from the brunette heroine though she was more reserved and harder to read so it could have been his imagination./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The plan was pretty simple: they were to meet up at Shield Labs to test Deku, Eri, and Mirio's abilities and current physiologies. All the attention would be placed on the young girl but Midoriya was hell bent on making sure that they'd get eyes on Mirio. The blonde did not know if he should be worried or flattered at his friend's determination. It was probably safer to not question it. Mirio relaxed for the rest of the flight, catching up with the kids or observing Midoriya fumble his way through speaking with Uraraka. Their conversation really amused Mirio. She was warm towards Midoriya as long as he strayed away from any self-deprecating blurbs. God help everyone though if Deku so much as thought about saying anything that would make him less so. The brunette's demeanor would change from bright to down right dead of Winter. It wasn't so much what she would say but what she wouldn't say. All she had to do was look away from the green bean hero, a small pout playing at her lips, and he would stop immediately. It had to be a trained unconscious response but it gave Mirio a ton of enjoyment to watch./p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"They ate a decent meal together, watching a mindless comedy as the flight whittled away at the hours. With the daylight fading quickly behind them outside, Mirio felt the temptation to sleep come again. Napping was a bad habit that he had developed after getting promoted to detective. Now that there were more heroes who could handle crimes and disasters, his department was used mostly for bureaucratic presence on the scene of any given situation. Rather than volunteering to "help out" on a scene, Mirio would opt to stay at the office and take a nap. Wasn't any point in getting riled up for a fight that he'd only make things worse. He'd never consider himself lazy but if it meant he never got in the way well... who was he to argue?/p  
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Mirio's hazy vision glossed over from Deku and Uraraka's poor attempt at concealing their flirting to Eri who was still happily playing with Kota. She looked up from the phone and gave him a brilliant smile before going back to the screen in Kota's hands. Eri's grin never left her face and Mirio felt at peace for a moment. If seeing that little girl smile like there wasn't a care in the world, then he could stand being who he was now./p 


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